Pencil eraser



Patented Jan. i6, 1934 fr 'r ir IPENUHH. ERASER Kenneth A. Garvey, Chicago, Ill., assigner to The Wahl ompany, ihicago, lill., a corporation of Delaware Application li/iay il, i932. Serial No. 609,100

13 @latina This invention relates to stationery and pertains particularly to an eraser mounting adapted for combination with a lead pencil or other manipulative holder. It is quite desirable that lead pencils designed for general use carry an eraser. However, an exposed eraser islikely to detract very materially from the appearance of an otherwise attractive pencil, especially when carried in a pocket in the customary manner, as the eraser becomes soiled, and misshapen from wear in use. An eraser which is carried in exposed position is also subject to being fouled by the natural oil of moisture from the hand, and to produce a smirch or soiled spot on the paper 15- when used.

Consequently, it is the customary practice, particularly in the manufacture of pencils of decorative character intended to be carried in a pocket, to equip the device with a removable cap adapted to house the eraser and conceal and protect it. Such an arrangement is inconvenient, however, because of the fact that when it is desired to use the eraser, the cap must be removed and either held in the hand or laid down, to be replaced on the pencil when the erasing is completed. When the pencil is being used continuously for a considerable time, it frequently happens that numerous erasures are made, this involving numerous removals and replacements of the cap. Consequently, users frequently become irked by the repeated interruptions of the work occasioned by such removals and replacements or'.' the caps, and lay them down. This frequently results in loss of the caps and the consequent defacement'v of the pencils resulting from their absence.

A general object of the present invention is the provision of a novel and improved eraser device adapted for use in combination with a pencil, or otherwise, which will aflord the eraser the desired concealment and protection when not pre sented for use, and which will present the eraser conveniently available for repeated use, vwhen desired.

tion wherein the eraser is combined with its housing member land a` holder in such fashion that the eraser is adjusted to operative or inoperative positions on the housing member incident tothe placing ofthe housing member on the pencil or holder.`

i Yet anotherobject is the provision of a construction wherein the eraser and its housing member are combined with a pencil or .holder which affords a receptacle in such fashion that Another object is the provision of a construc- (ol. iatsai the eraser and its housing member may function as a closure for the receptacle both when the eraser is housed and when it is exposed for use, without encroachment upon the capacity of the receptacle.

Yet another object is the provision of a conu struction which necessitates the replacement of the eraser housing member on the pencil or holder in .order to present the eraser for use.

Other and further objects of the invention will 65. be pointed out or indicated hereinafter or will be apparent upon an understanding of the same or its employment Vin use.

For the purpose of aiding in explanation of the invention I show in the accompanying draw- 70. ing forming a part of this specification, and hereinafter described, certain of the possible structural embodiments of the invention, but it is to be understood that these are presented for purpose of illustration merely and are not to be construed in any fashion calculated to limit the appended claims short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In such drawing, f Y

Fig. 1 is a part longitudinal section of a. 80 structure embodying the invention, part of the same being here shown as a portion of a lead pencil, which constitutes a holder, the parts being shown in the relationship wherein the eraser is in the housed position;

Fig. 2 is a similar part longitudinal section of the same structure, showing the parts in the relationship which they bear when the eraser is in the presented or exposed position, available for use;

Fig. 3 is a cross section on substantially line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and l Fig. 4 is a detail representing a side elevation of a variant form of an eraser element suitable for employment in the structural combination illustrated in the other gures.

An understanding of the invention may be most quickly had from a detailed explanation of the examples shown in the drawing. In the construction there shown, the reference numeral 10 designates a holder, here represented asthe shaft of a lead pencil of a mechanical type, said holder being formed at its upper end with an axial bore or chamber 11 adapted to constitute a retaining receptacle for sections of lead A, or other articles suchv as extra erasers. 'Ihe reference numeral 12 designates a head or tip member adapted -to be removably mounted on the holder 10 so as to constitute in appearance an extension ofthe same. The head member 12 110 is formed with a longitudinal bore which opens at both ends of the head member, and in said bore is slidably mounted the eraser carrier 14. This eraser carrier has a thimble-like member open at one end and closed at the other end by a portion 14a. of the member 14 conforms in general to that of the bore, but in order to afford it the desired freedom for sliding, and retain it against falling out of the bore, its sides do not fit the bore tightly, the desired resilient irictional bearing being afforded by means of longitudinally extending beads 14h embossed outwardly in the side Wall of the member 14, and an outwardly embossed rim-like annular bead 14C formed in the side Wall adjacent the end portion le, These outwardly embossed portions llib and le.c engage the wall of the bore with the proper closeness and pressure to prevent the thimble member dropping out of the bore, yet permit it to slide longitudinally therein upon application of an appropriate force. The diameter of the end portion 14a and of the Wall portion immediately adjacent thereto is less than that of the bore, so that the embossed rim portion 14C affords an external shoulder extending laterally beyond the end portion lee.

At its other end the member 14 terminates at a laterally projected flange or rim 15, which extends out-into close association with the encompassing wall of the head bore. In the construction here illustrated, this rim 15 is formed on the end of a ferrule member 16, which is inserted in and detachably connected to the member 14.-. Said rim 15 may, however, be formed on the member la itself. The errule member 16 is provided for facilitating the mounting and dismounting oi the eraser, and for that purpose is formed as a split sleeve adapted to accommodate the eraser 17 and to be clamped into tight binding engagement with it when the member 16 is held constricted by the member 11i. The member 16 may be withdrawn from the member lli, whereupon it may be spread or expanded sufficiently to free the eraser and permit itsadjustment or removal and replacement. The member 16 may be provided with resilient instruclr portions 16a adapted to press into the eraser for the purpose of anchoring it securely. The member 16 forms a portion of the eraser carrier, but need not necessarily be employed,

-as an eraser of proper size may be seated directly in the member 14.

The holder includes a sleeve 18 mounted in the end portion thereof in such relationship that its bore affords an entrance into the receptacle 11. The sleeve 18 extends a suitable distance beyond the end of the holder 10, and is of a diameter such as to nt snugly in the bore of the head member l2 for the purpose of holding the head member detachably in place on the holder. The sleeve 18 may 'thus be inserted into either'end of the head member. The thickness of its wall is such as to permit its introduction between the periphery of the eraser and the wall of the head member bore, so that its upper end may make Contact with the rim 15. The sleeve member 18 is also adapted to receive the end portion 1lisi of the carrier, as a centering guide, and make contact with the shoulder afforded by the bead or rim 1.4. The length of the eraser carrier and the length of' the protruding portion of the sleeve 18 are such that when the head member is pressed to seated position on the holder with the rim 15 in engage- The cross-sectional contourment with the end of the sleeve, the carrier will be forced to a position such that the end portion 14a is at the opposite end of the head member. In such position, the eraser is housed within the head member, as illustrated in Fig. l, and does not encroach upon the capacity of the ,chamber 11.

Upon reversal of the position of the head member, when it is forced to fully seated position on the holder with the end of 'the sleeve 18 in engagement with the shoulder of the rim la, the eraser carrier will be slid longitudinally in the head member to a position wherein the eraser is projected beyond the opposite end of the head member and presented in position for use, as illustrated in Fig. 2. In either of said seated positions, the head member is retained securely on the holder, and affords an effective closure for the receptacle 1l. In the position illustrated in Fig. 2, the eraser may be used conveniently in the usual fashion.

1n Fig. i is illustrated a modied feature, the eraser 17' having the ierrule 19 permanently iixed about its middle, said ferrulebeing provided With the bead 20 adapted to abut the end of the member 14 when either end of the eraser is inserted therein. The use of this form of eraser eliminates the use of the ferrule 16, the bead 20 affording a rim adapted for engagement with the end of the sleeve 18 and 'forming a bearing for application of the pressure to move the eraser carrier to the position illustrated in Fig. l. An eraser of this type may be reversed in the carrier, to present a new end when the other is worn down.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the class described comprising the combination with a holder, of a head member adapted for attachment thereto in either of reverse positions, and an eraser shiftable longitudinally in said head member and adapted to be retracted to a position in which it is housed in the head member when the latter is attached to the holder in one of said. positions and to be projected from the head member in position for use when the head member is attached to the holder in the other of said positions, and means on the holder for preventing movement of the eraser toward the holder when the head member is attached thereto.

2. A device of the class described comprising the combination with a holder, of a head member adapted for attachment thereto in either of reverse positions, an eraser carrier carried by the head member and shiftable longitudinally thereof, and an eraser retained by said carrier and movable relative to the head member to housed and projected positions by the shifting of the carrier relative to the head member.

3. A device as specified in claim 2 and including connecting means cooperating with the holder and carrier to impart to the latter shifting movement longitudinally of the head member.

4. A device as specified in claih 2 and Wherein the holder is adapted for cooperation with the carrier to effect shifting movement thereof longitudinally relative to the head member incident to the attaching of the head member to the holder.

5. A device as specified in claim 2 and wherein the carrier is adapted for cooperation with the holder to effect movement of the eraser relative to the head member to housed and projected positions.

' head member adapted for attachment to the holder in either of reverse positions at the open end of said receptacle, an eraser shiftably lmounted in the head member, said'head member and eraser affording a closure for said receptacle in either of said positions of the head memr,

and means on the holder for imparting outward shifting movement to the eraser inthe head member incident to theattaching of the latter to the holder.v

7. A device of the class described comprising the combination with a holder, of a head member adapted to be attached thereto in either of reverse positions, an eraser shiftable longitudinally in said head member. and means on the holder for eecting longitudinal shifting movement of the eraser in the head member incident to the attaching of the head member to the holder.

d. idevice of the class described comprising a holder, a connecting member, a head member attachable to said holder in either of reverse positions by means of said connecting member, an eraser carrier shiftable longitudinally in said head member and adapted for cooperative engaeement at each of its ends with said connecting member to eilect shifting of the carrier in the head member, and anv eraser mounted on said carrier.

9. l'n a device oi the class described, in corn-` bination, a holder, a sleeve projecting from said holder, a tubular head member adapted to receive said sleeve at each ofits opposite ends, an eraser carrier slidably mounted in said-head member, said carrier-having portions adjacent its opposite ends for cooperation with said sleeve to chect propulsion of said carrier longitudinally in the head member, and an eraser mounted on said carrier and movable therewith to a position in which the eraser is housed in the head mem- @ERTIFICATE aient No., Lidi, 792# ber and to another position in which the eraser is projected from the head member.

l0.l A device of the class described comprising a tubular member, an eraser carrier adjustable Vlongitudinally therein, an eraser carried by said adapted for connection selectively to each of'onposite ends ofl said tubular member and for cooperation with said carrier to eiect movement oi the same in each of opposite directions in thetubular member.

ll.-A In a device of the class described, th combination with a holder, of a head adapted for reversible attachment thereto, an eraser shiftably mounted in the head for movement relative thereto to retracted and projected positions, and means on the holder for imparting to the eraser shifting movement relative Vto the head incident to the attaching of the head to the holder.

l2. A device of the class described comprising, in combination, a holder, a head member attachable thereto in reverse positions selectively, 'an eraser shiftable longitudinally in the head member to housed and projected positions, and means on the .holder to hold the eraser against movement toward the holder during the seating of the head member on the latter.

13. A device of the class described comprising a holder affording a receptacle with an open end, a head memberhaving an eraser shiftably mounted therein and adapted for attachment to the holder in either of reverse positions to form a closure for the open end of the receptacle, and means on. the holder for holding the eraser against longitudinal movement toward the holder while the head member,v is moved longitudinally relative to the eraser to seated position on the holder. KENNETH A. GARVEY.

ci contener.

January iii, i934,

KENNETH d. GAVii.

il is hereby cerliiicd -iliatcrror appears in the priniedspcciiicaiion oi the above numbered paient requiring correction as ioiiows: Page i, iines 2, 3 and i, siriiie out the words "mounting adapted ici' combination r-Jiiii a iced pencii or other manipulative bolder" and insert the'word device; line i3, ier "ci" read or; and line 72, ior "described" read describe; and that the said Leiters Patent should bercail with these correciions therein that tire same may coniorni ic iiic rccordoi the casein the Patent @ffice signed am sealed ons nh day .0f Mirah, A. n. man.

(desi) if", M. Hopkins Acting Commissioner oi intents. 

